Okay, so a lot of you know I had braces on for two years. On the 25th June, 2014 I had them taken off and it was probably the best, strangest and relieving experience of my whole life. Throughout my School days I was bullied, by many children for my Teeth.

As this was something I couldn't change about myself, I fell into a pool of anxiety for a very long time and sank to the very bottom. I would lay awake at night, pushing my front teeth back with force in hopes that my "Rabbit Teeth" would move back, creating smaller-looking front teeth. Obviously this had done no good for me, or my self esteem.

I've had many trips to the Dentist during my life. It seems I've always had problems with my teeth. From being a young age I've always had fillings (probably due to the amount of sweets I consumed). I also have had multiple teeth removed and countless amounts of check-ups. At the age of around 13, I scheduled an appointment to see the Orthodontist about a brace. Unfortunately, I was told that the only Brace available for me was a Head Brace... You could probably imagine my reaction.

 Quite obviously, I said no and that meant I could not have Braces fitted free on the NHS. I was heartbroken but there wasn't anything I could do. Skip 5 years and I decided I wanted/needed Braces, but the only way of getting these was to pay £2,100. Luckily, my parents could afford to pay for these. I am lucky in the sense that whenever I have needed financial help, my rents have been there to help and my Mum supported me on my Brace Face decision. My Mum has always been there for me and she knew how much I hated my teeth, she basically explained to me that she felt paying for Braces wasn't a waste of money as my teeth are here for a lifetime, and if they aren't straight, I won't feel great about the way I look. I've never felt I had a great smile and often I would refuse to smile with teeth showing. Most of my most cherished photographs were set to private or deleted due to the way I felt about my teeth.

In September, 2012 I had my Braces fitted. The pain didn't hit me until 4 hours after them being attached and damn, they hurt. No Pain, No Gain right?
Now, looking back at pictures of my Braces, I think they look pretty cute. I feel that I definitely looked younger with them as most people with Braces tend to be High School attendees. During days with my braces I would wish for them to be ripped out as they would cut my mouth to shreds and cause extreme irritation. I would also get lots of food trapped in them (gross I know) but this is all part of being a metal mouth.

After a multitude of appointments, tightening, and pain here I am with my new smile. I'm so happy with the way I look now and I can honestly say I've never felt this confident before. If you are getting Braces fitted or even deciding on that, I recommend having it done. It's a once in a lifetime thing and afterwards you will feel so much better. I had my braces on for just under two years, and I'm telling you now, that has FLOWN by.
Thank you for reading,